Recovery - A Sequel to Thicker than Water
by Mogo Girl
Summary: Title pretty much says it all. Cait's recovery after her crash, a possible new relationship with String, and an Airwolf mission thrown in for good measure.
1. Chapter 1

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_.

_A/N: So as the title says, this story picks up where Thicker than Water left off. Actually it starts about 3 weeks later. It's about Cait's recovery, perhaps something starting between her and Hawke and another Airwolf adventure thrown in for good measure. _

**Chapter 1**

Caitlin stood on the dock at Hawke's cabin, leaning on her crutch and waving goodbye as the helicopter carrying her parents lifted off, Dom in the pilot's seat taking them back to the airport for their trip home. After the events of just over three weeks earlier in which Cait had crashed during a movie stunt and was almost killed, her parents had come to California to help her out when she was released from the hospital. For the past week they had stayed to take care of her at her apartment. Caitlin was grateful but her mother tended to be quite over-bearing and her father, while concerned about his daughter, was ready to get back to his ranch. So after a week Caitlin was more than relieved when Hawke had offered to have her come to the cabin to finish her recovery.

"Now, Caitlin honey, I know that Mr. Hawke is a nice young man but I just don't think it's proper for a young lady to stay alone with him at his cabin like that," Caitlin's mother had bemoaned as she tried to convince her daughter that she should stay.

"Mom, Hawke and I are friends and I trust him completely. Not to mention I don't really care what anyone else thinks!" Caitlin had said as she looked with pleading eyes to her father for help. She loved her mother but she also knew that another week of hearing how nice girls don't fly helicopters and how she should be finding a young man who could provide her with security and babies would eventually drive her crazy.

"Maggie," Caitlin's father gently prompted, "Caitlin's right. She'll be fine with String and it's time we get back home. You can see she's alright and I know she'll be in capable hands with String and Dom both keeping an eye on her. And don't you want to get back in time for the birth of your grandson?" he added knowing that the upcoming birth of Caitlin's first nephew would be the one incentive to get her home.

Caitlin's mother had finally agreed to go back but only after she had escorted Caitlin up to String's cabin herself. Reluctantly Caitlin had agreed but had almost died upon hearing the speech that her mother had given Hawke regarding proper behavior and being a gentlemen. Caitlin had wanted to crawl inside of her own skin and Hawke had done his best to keep from bursting out laughing, responding to Mrs. O'Shannessy with a mere, "Yes, Ma'am" when she was done. Caitlin loved her parents but she couldn't help breathe a sigh of relief as she watched the chopper fly around the mountain and out of sight.

Hawke had waited until lift off before coming down off the cabin porch and joining Caitlin on the dock. "So, as a gentlemen, am I allowed to put my arm around you to escort you back into the house or should I just follow a dutiful three steps behind?" he asked with a grin as he came up beside her.

"Oh God, String," Caitlin said in embarrasment, "I'm so sorry for my mother. She's quite old fashioned when it comes to her daughters," Caitlin said as her cheeks reddened.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said with a chuckle. "I think it's nice that she worries about you. Although, I can understand where it might start to wear a little thin if you had to hear it all the time. Now, how bout we get you back in the cabin? You look tired," he said as his smile turned to a look of concern as he studied her face.

"Yeah, well my mother tends to wear me out pretty quickly, even when I'm healthy," Caitlin agreed with a slight smile. Allowing Hawke to slip a supportive arm around her waist, they started back towards the cabin. Caitlin had come a long way in her recovery since the crash three weeks earlier but her injuries had been numerous and quite severe as one might expect from a helicopter crash, and she was still not back up to full strength. Her concussion had healed and her cuts and bruises were beginning to fade but her broken right ankle, broken right arm, a couple of cracked ribs and recovery from surgery to remove her spleen still left her in pain and fatigued. It would be several more weeks before she was back up to speed.

Carefully leading her back into the cabin, Hawke made sure that Caitlin was comfortably settled on the couch in front of the fire before heading into the kitchen to make her some lunch. Usually a loner, Hawke was actually surprised to find himself feeling content having Caitlin in the cabin. It just felt right when she was there. Of course he realized that part of that came from feeling that he was finally righting a wrong. Even though Caitlin had insisted that he and Dom weren't to blame for the accident, he couldn't help but believe that he could have and should have prevented it from ever happening. He had been pre-occupied with his own petty argument with the older man and instead of double checking all system functions before the stunt he had been careless and the radio communications hadn't been up to par. No matter what Caitlin said, he would always know in his own mind that he had, at least partially, caused that accident. At least helping in her recovery would hopefully give him some sense of repayment to her.

Carrying a sandwich and a glass of milk back over to the couch he chuckled as he looked down and saw Caitlin sleeping. Putting the food on the coffee table, he took the blanket off the back of the couch and gently covered her up with it. Taking a seat in his favorite chair next to the hearth, he picked up a book he had been reading earlier and settled in. Actually he tried to read, but instead, after re-reading the same paragraph about three times, he laid the open book across the arm of the chair and just sat back and watched Caitlin as she slept. She seemed so peaceful as her breathing settled into a nice, even pattern.

As he continued to watch over her, Hawke began to ponder the emotions he was feeling. There was no question that he cared for this woman who had unexpectantly showed up in his life two years earlier. Since then she had consistently and surreptitiously worked her way into his life, his work and his heart. He often referred to her as "family", just as he did Dominic Santini. But over the last several weeks he had spent a lot of time wondering if it was more than that. As of yet, he'd been unable to answer that question fully. All he knew was that when he first saw her unconscious form laying in the crashed helicopter, his heart skipped several beats and a feeling of despair over possibly losing her had encompassed him. He couldn't imagine not ever seeing her sparkling blue-green eyes or hearing her infectious laugh or seeing her mischevious smile ever again. He also knew that he felt more whole when she was around. Hell, even the fact that he wanted her around most of the time was significant for a man who had spent most of his life running away from people.

"Hawke?" The sound of her voice broke him out of his reverie and he got up from his chair and went to sit on the edge of he coffee table next to her.

"That wasn't much of a nap," he said.

"I didn't even realize I had nodded off," she said as she yawned.

"Yeah, well, I think all of that business with your mother wore you out," he explained. "Hungry?" he asked as he picked up the plate containing the sandwich and offered it to her.

"Yeah, I guess I am," she said as she sat up gingerly. Taking a bite of the sandwich she looked at Hawke for a minute. "So, you going to tell me what you were thinking about so hard over there?"

Hawke cocked an eyebrow at her as he was caught off-guard by her question. But then she always had been good at reading him. "Nothing we need to talk about, not right now anyways," was how he chose to answer her. He realized that he needed more time to understand his own feelings before talking to her about them.

Caitlin studied Hawke's face as she took another bite of her sandwich. There had been a look in his eyes that had intrigued her but she knew that pushing him would do no good. He was man who had to come to things on his own terms. "Okay. But you know, String, if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm a pretty good listener. Especially now since there's not much else I can do."

"Yeah, I'll remember that," he said with a grin as he got up. "Look, if you're okay, I'm going to go out and get some more wood for the fire."

"Yep, I'm good," she said.

As Hawke headed outside, he marvelled at the way Cait could see right through him. _"This could be an interesting next couple of weeks," _he thought to himself.

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 2**

After dropping Cait's parents off at the airport, Dom returned in the Jet Ranger to String's cabin. Walking the pathway up to the cabin, Dom was greeted with a wave from String who was sitting on the front porch.

"Cait's parents get off all right?" Hawke asked as Dom took a seat next to him.

"Yeah, but just barely. I tell you, kid, Cait's mother is a sweet lady but I can see now where Caitlin gets her stubborn streak. Cait's dad had to practically drag her mother onto that plane!" Dom stated as he shook his head.

"Yeah, well you should have heard the speech I got," Hawke said.

"I think I have a good idea about it. She pulled me aside before they left and asked me to chaperone you two!" Dom said with a laugh. "I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do but I think if I put Cait in a glass cage her mother would be fine with that. So, where is Cait?"

"She's sleeping. I think a week with her mother wore her out more than anything. She woke up long enough to eat some lunch and take her pain medication and then fell back asleep."

"Hmmm," Dom said as he looked at the younger man next to him. He had sensed a subtle change of tone when String spoke about Cait. It was tone that Dom never heard him use with anyone else. Others probably wouldn't even notice it but Dom knew him well-enough to know when there was something different, something tender. "So tell me, does Cait's mom have anything to worry about?" he asked with a grin.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Dom?" String asked nervously as he stood and went over to lean on the porch railing and stared blankly out at the lake. .

"Oh nothing, I guess," Dom said. "It's just that since the crash it seems that you've been awfully attentive to our girl in there."

"Well she was hurt pretty badly, Dom. What did you expect me to do, just ignore her?" Hawke asked, a little frustration creeping into his voice.

"Of course not but this isnt just normal 'hope you feel better soon/I'll bring you some chicken soup' attention. Look, kid, maybe I'm sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong but it seems to me that you've been acting a little different around Cait. I get the feeling that maybe you've been thinking about a few things."

"You're right, Dom. You're sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong," String said as he turned around, his arms crossed in what seemed like a protective measure across his heart, and glared at Dom.

"Okay, I got it," Dom said with a grin as he stood to leave. "Looks like you got things handled here. I think I'll head back to the hangar. Lord knows somebody around here has to do some work and I have a feeling I won't be seeing either of you at the hangar for a while. Give Cait a kiss for me, huh? Tell her I'll be back in a couple of days for the weekend and I'll bring some supplies. In the meantime...don't do anything I wouldn't do if I was stranded up at a remote cabin all alone with a beautiful woman!"

"Dom!" Hawke said in a warning tone although Dom was sure he saw just the slighest hint of a sparkle in Hawke's eye as he left.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

As he watched the Jet Ranger lift off, Hawke's mind wandered back to what Dom had implied. Truth be told, the older man was right, he had been thinking a lot about Cait lately. More than he even liked to admit.

"_Why now?" _he wondered as he took a few steps off the porch and unconsciously headed out towards the lake. "_Am I seeing something more than I did before or am I just feeling guilty and over-protective of her because she's hurt?" _These were the questions that Hawke knew he had to answer for himself before he could figure out what to do about Caitlin.

He had known for a long time that Caitlin had feelings for him. It hadn't been too hard to figure out. Often times he would catch her watching him when she thought he didn't notice or how she looked when she saw him with another woman. He had just never really looked at her that way. _"Well, that's not exactly true, Hawke," _he said to himself. He had had to admit that when he awoke from the drugs that she had given him at Horn's compound to counteract the brain washing drugs, his first basic instinct was to want to kiss her. That had been raw, unadulterated emotion. That had to come from somewhere.

And then there was the "curse". Hawke had long believed that anyone he loved too much would be taken away from him...just like Gabrielle, his parents, Karen and even Sinjin to an extent. He never wanted to put Caitlin in that position or in danger. Although, in reality, he knew that that was just a lame excuse that he used when the strong emotions of really caring for someone scared him. After all, look at Dom, and even Cait, for that matter. They were both still here. It was as good an argument as any for disproving the curse theory.

All of these thoughts brought him back to his original dilemma. Was he really falling in love with Caitlin or were they just feelings that had been stirred up because of guilt and seeing her hurt? Either way, Hawke knew he had to figure it out. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Caitlin even more by encouraging feelings he wasn't even sure he had. In the meantime, he would be there as a friend to help her through her recovery. It was the least he could do.

Turning back, he headed back into the cabin. Stopping at the open doorway, he leaned against the door frame and watched Caitlin as she slept on the couch, Tet laying protectively at her feet. Unbeknownst even to him, a small smile worked it's way onto his face. "_Whatever it is, it's a pretty good feeling," _he couldn't but help think to himself.

_TBC..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 3**

The following day found String and Cait spending the day indoors as it was one of those rare rainy afternoons on the mountain. Slamming the book shut that she had been reading, Cait sighed loudly.

"Something the matter?" Hawke asked as he glanced over from the dining room table where he had been spending the down time tying some flies for fishing.

"I think I'm going stir-crazy!" Cait said as she set her book down and grabbed for her crutch. Pushing herself off the couch with a slight grunt, she came over to the table and took the chair across from Hawke. "Looks like pretty intricate work," she observed as she watched Hawke.

"It can be but there's nothing better than a homemade fly for catching trout in the lake," he explained. Finishing the fly he put it down and looked over at Cait. "You okay?" he asked detecting a sad look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just tired of not being able to do anything, you know?" she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Between this damn broken ankle and broken arm, I just feel so useless. And even if I do try doing something, like going for a short walk with you and Tet, I'm so worn out by the time I get back that I'm worthless the rest of the day."

Getting up, Hawke came around the table and knelt down in front of her. "Your body's been through a lot, Cait. It's going to take some time to heal."

"I know," she said sullenly. "I'm sorry I'm being such a burden, though," she said softly as she hung her head. "I'm sure there are hundreds of things you'd rather be doing than babysitting me."

Taking his hand and cupping it under her chin, Hawke raised it up so she would have to look him in the eyes. Looking in her tear-dampened, blue-green orbs, he knew what was coming. He had been wondering how long it would take before she reached this point. It had been almost a month and from day one, Cait had been the strong and sensible one. Hawke knew that she had felt an obligation to stay positive, first for he and Dominic, and then her parents. But after being at the cabin for a few days she had had a few days to think and Hawke knew that she must be exhausted just trying to keep up the front.

"Caitlin, you're NOT a burden. As a matter of fact, I like having you here," he said with a gentle smile as he tenderly wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb.

"Yeah, great company I am," she said. "I can't do anything but take up space on your couch like some lump on a log."

"Well Im used to that. It's just you now instead of Tet," he said with a grin trying to make her smile.

"Hawke,'' she said as she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I can't stand feeling this way. I should at least be doing something to earn my keep around here."

"Caitlin, you don't have to earn anything. You're family and I want to take care of you...I even kind of like it." Being so close to her, something began to stir inside of Hawke. He could smell the scent of her shampoo and watch the way the freckles seemed to dance across cheeks as she spoke. The softness of her skin under the callousness of his thumb was an intense feeling and he could feel himself wanting to close in on her pretty, coral-colored lips. _"No, its too soon. If you do something now, you'll be taking advantage of her when she's down." _he told himself as he backed away slightly. Needing to stop the electric charge he was feeling he attempted to diffuse the emotion with a little humor. "Anyways, it's not often I get to boss you around..."

"Stringfellow Hawke, are you implying that I'm bossy?" Caitlin asked, a slight smile forming on her face in spite of herself.

Laughing, Hawke stood up and grabbed her crutch. Holding out his arm, Caitlin took a hold of it pulling herself up out of the chair. Once standing, Hawke slid his arm around her waist for support. "Where are we going?" Caitlin asked as he guided her towards the front door.

"The rain's stopped," he said as he opened the front door. "There's nothing better than the smell of the pines up here after a fresh rain. Let's go out on the porch. It'll clear your head. At least it always does mine."

"Well I know I could use a little clearing but just what's in that head of yours that needs clearing out, Hawke?" Caitlin asked as he helped her to sit down on the bench that sat under the dining room window.

Walking in front of her, Hawke sat down next to her, looping his arm around her shoulders. "You'd be surprised," he said as he looked at her intensely, the electric feelings creeping back in, surprising even himself.

Sensing something different, Caitlin turned her body slightly so that she was facing him. Looking him straight in the eyes, Caitlin leaned slightly forward. "Would I, Hawke?" she asked very quietly.

"Caitlin..." he started to protest but was stopped from saying anything further as his lips were suddenly covered with hers. Hawke's first instinct was to pull back but somehow he just couldn't bring himself to deny something he'd been thinking about for a very long time. Instead, he found himself gently pulling Caitlin closer to him and what had started out as a soft kiss soon turned into something much more hungry and passionate for both of them.

Suddenly, Hawke pulled away as he detected the distant sounds of rotors approaching the lake. The separation actually caused Caitlin to moan slightly as she reached out, trying to pull him back in.

"Cait, someone's coming," he said softly as he brushed her cheek with his hand.

Sighing Caitlin sat back a little. "It's gotta be Archangel, no one else has his great sense of timing."

"Yeah," Hawke agreed as he looked at her, chiding himself for letting things get as far as they had. "Caitlin, what just happened..."

Shaking her head, Caitlin's face grew stern. "I swear to God, Stringfellow Hawke, if you say one word about it being a mistake, I'll never forgive you!," she exclaimed.

"Caitlin...I took advantage of you. I shouldn't have done that," he stammered as he struggled to find the right words to say. Evidently those weren't the right ones.

"You took advantage of ME?" Caitlin said in disbelief. "I may have some broken bones but my memory is just fine and I seem to remember that I kissed YOU! Damn you, String...don't you dare back away from this." Tears flowing down her face, Caitlin pushed herself up off the bench and slowly worked her way back to the door, leaving String staring behind her not knowing what to say. He wanted to get up and follow her. Lord knows there was plenty that now needed to be said but as soon as he got up, Michael came walking up the path and Caitlin had made it into the cabin, slamming hte door behind her.

"What the Hell do you want, Michael?" he growled as Archangel made his way up the porch steps.

"And good evening to you too, Hawke," Michael said as he ceremoniously tipped his hat.

"Michael, now is NOT the time," Hawke warned as he glanced towards the door that now blocked him from Cait.

"Fine, I don't have time for pleasantries anyways, " Michael said. "I've got a mission for you, Hawke, and it can't wait."

"NO, Michael." Hawke said before the spy could say anything further.

"It's a matter of national security, Hawke. I suggest that unless you want to see World War III start up with Russians that you calm down and listen. I'm not taking no for an answer. "

Hearing the front door of the cabin open, both men looked over to see Caitlin standing in the doorway. Hawke marvelled at how all signs of tears or anger had been removed from her face. "Come on in, Michael. Excuse Hawke, the rain just has him feeling a little cranky today."

"Thank you, Caitlin. It's nice to see that someone around here has managed to remain human," Michael said with a smirk as he entered the cabin.

Looking at Caitlin, Hawke tried to convey some type of apology with his eyes but she was having none of it and immediately turned to follow Michael.

Sighing, Hawke knew he had no choice and went in to see what the spy had to say.

_TBC..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 4**

"You're looking well, Cait," Michael said as he helped himself to a seat in front of the fire.

"Well that's not true," Caitlin said with a grateful smile as she sat on the couch, "but thank you. I'm healing."

"So, Michael, what exactly is this mission that's so important you have to interrupt Cait's recuperation?" Hawke asked with a glare as he went and stood by the mantle. He tried to glance at Caitlin but it was clear that the red-head was doing her best to look anywhere but back at him.

"The FIRM's lost something and we need you to take Airwolf into Russian territory to recover it," Michael stated cryptically.

"Might help if I know what it is," Hawke answered stoically.

"Yes, well, that's where this all gets a little tricky," the spy answered as he unconsiously reached up and stroked his mustache. "We're not exacty sure what it is ourselves."

Hawke stared at the man in white for a few minutes before actually breaking out in laughter. "Nice try, Michael. Now if you'll excuse us, we have more important things to be doing than chasing around ghosts for The FIRM. You can show yourself out."

"Wait a minute, Hawke!" Michael said hurriedly as the pilot started to walk away towards the stairs that led to the loft. "Let me explain."

Hawke stopped at the base of the steps and turned to look at the spy. "You've got two minutes" was all he said as he looked at his watch.

"Dammit, Hawke," Michael said in frustration as he stood from his chair. Seeing no change in Hawke's demeanor, he knew the pilot meant business. "Okay, here's what we know. One of our veteran operatives had established himself as a mole within the Russian Air Defense Forces. Four days ago, he gets word to us that he's managed to get his hands on something that could change the whole course of relations between Russia and the US . He couldn't go into detail because he was afraid someone might be monitoring transmissions. Through secure code he told us he'd be at a preset safe location for three hours only yesterday. We were to meet him there and he'd tell us how to get the information."

"Let me guess, he never made it," Hawke interrupted.

"No, he actually made it. Unfortunately by the time we got there, so had the Soviets. He must have been followed . We've used that safe house dozens of times before . There's no way they knew about it unless they followed him. Anyways, we found him dead and from what I understand they had showed him no mercy. He had evidently been tortured and the whole place had been trashed."

"And what makes you think they didn't find what they were looking for?" Hawke asked.

"Chatter."

"Chatter?" Caitlin asked from her place on the couch.

"Soviet radio communications that I assume Michael and his cohorts have been monitoring," Hawke quickly explained.

"Yes," Michael agreed. "It's increased ten fold in the last day. Our decoding experts have figured out that whatever our operative had, the Russians want it back in the worst kind of way but as of a few hours ago, they still hadn't put their hands on it."

"And just how do you expect me to find it if they can't? Especially when I don't even know what the hell I'm looking for?" Hawke demanded to know.

"Our operative had been under for many years. There was a girlfriend, Elena Surcheyev. Evidently he had given her the package with instrutions on how to contact us if he didnt' return. Eight hours ago, she did just that and she says she has the package."

"And you want Hawke to take The Lady and extract the girl and whatever's in the package, " Caitlin surmised.

"Yes and No." Michael said. "There's been nothing to indicate that the Russians suspect her or that she was being monitored and she's already on her way to another safe house to hand over whatever she has but she's decided to stay in Russia."

"That's suicide!" Cait exclaimed.

"Most likely, "Michael calmy agreed. "However, there's nothing we can do if that's her choice. Our priority is to get whatever's in that package and get it back here ASAP."

"I don't like it," Hawke said. "One safe house has already been revealed and who the hell knows what's in that so-called package? It could all be an elaborate set up."

"Potentially, I guess it could Hawke but if what he found is as important as he said it was, we can't take the chance of it going back into Russian hands. This operative had provided us a lot of valuable information in the past, I have no reason to doubt him now."

After thinking things over for a few moments, Hawke simply looked at Michael and asked: "When?"

"You'll need to leave in three hours in order to make the rendezvous," Michael said.

"Nothing like a little notice, Michael," Hawke said sarcastically.

"Sorry, Hawke but we can't risk waiting on this one. We've got to get in and out before they Russians figure out what happened. If all goes as planned you can be back at the cabin in less than 18 hours."

"If all goes as planned..." Hawke mused. "It rarely does, Michael."

For a few minutes the cabin was silent as Archangel waited for an answer from the pilot.

Finally, Caitlin spoke up. "Hawke, you have to go," she said as she stood and hobbled over to him using her crutch. "I'll be okay here for a day, Tet will watch over me," she said with a smile.

"What about...?" Hawke started to ask but stopped when he remembered they weren't alone.

"We'll talk about it when you get back. It's probably best that way, anyways," she said.

Hawke searched her eyes for a reason to stay but he knew she was right, he had to go. "Fine. Michael, can you drop me off at the hangar? I'll get Dom and we'll head out."

"Sure thing. I've got all the coordinates and information you'll need in my chopper." Looking at Caitlin and Hawke, the spy sensed they could probably use a minute of privacy before Hawke left so he inconspicuously headed for the door and told Hawke he'd meet him at the chopper.

Once the door closed behind Michael, Hawke reached out for Caitlin but she turned instead and headed back towards the couch.

"Caitlin, I don't like leaving things this way," he said.

"It's okay, Hawke, really," she said rather unconvincingly, even to her own ears. "We both need time to process what happened before Michael showed up and where it might have gone if he hadn't. I promise, we'll talk later."

Wanting to say something that would make things better but realizing that there wasn't time and that he didn't have the words anyways, Hawke just nodded and went to the door where he took his flight jacket off the hook and put it on. "If you need anything, you call Michael, you hear me?" he said.

"I will but don't worry, String, I'll be fine," she said.

"Cait..." he tried once more feeling he should be doing something.

"Go, Hawke," was all she said as she turned back to a book she had been reading earlier.

Shrugging his shoulders, he turned and left the cabin.

As soon as he was gone, Caitlin dropped the book and let the tears fall.

_TBC..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 5**

"You're awfully quiet up there, kid," Dominic said as he leaned back in his chair at the engineering console of Airwolf. Dom had been more than a little surprised when Hawke had shown up at the hangar with Archangel. When String told him they were headed out on a mission, he could have knocked the older man over with a feather. Hawke had spent the last month worried sick about Caitlin. Finally he gets a chance to have her up at the cabin and then after only a day and a half he jumps at the first chance to leave her? Nope, something didn't smell right about that to Dom at all. He knew there had to be more to it than that but String was being his usual brooding self and had spent most of their trip in silence.

"Huh?" Hawke said distractedly as he turned to look at Dom. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah, I said if you don't get your head on straight for this mission we're going to fly right into the Kremlin if you don't start paying attention! Sheesh, String, what's the matter with you? And don't tell me nothing! I know you better than that. We've got a good 45 minutes before we hit Russian Air Space. Until then it's easy flying so put her on autopilot and spit it out, kid!" Dom knew that sometimes he just had force things out of the younger man. He also knew that whatever String had on his mind, he better clear it out before the real dirty work of this mission started.

For a few minutes, Hawke sat in silence. Dom wasn't worried, he knew how to wait him out so he sat quietly waiting.

Finally Hawke spoke. It was so soft, Dom had to strain to hear. "She kissed me."

"Ha! Well it's about time!" Dom said with a mile-wide, toothy grin. "And I hope you kissed her back, huh String?"

"Yeah, and that's the problem, Dom."

"Oh, Mamma Mia!" Dom exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air. "Let me guess, the curse?"

"Well, yeah, that too I guess but more than that Dom, I should have never done it. Not now."

"Oh please tell me you didn't tell Caitlin that?" Dom asked with a sigh already afraid that he knew the answer.

"Okay, I won't tell you," Hawke said.

"Dammit String! For as many women as you go out with, you sure don't know a lot about them do you? So, pray tell, why not now, String?" Dom asked, frustration clearly evident in his voice.

"Because she's too vulnerable right now and I'm not even sure what my feelings are. If things don't work out she's going to be really hurt and I don't want to do that do her."

"Well I have a strange feeling that ship has already sailed, son," Dom said as he shook his head. Taking off his helmet Dom climbed out of chair and climbed into the co-pilots chair, slipping on headphones as he sat back down. "Look, kid, I know you told me not to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong but I'm going to say this and then leave you two to figure it out on your own. Cait's a hell of a lot stronger than you're giving her credit for. Now that girl's in love with you, anyone can see that. But what most people can't see like I do is that you love her back. For whatever reason, you're just too damn stubborn to admit it. The way I see it, you've got two choices. One - you can keep on denying it and she's going to be hurt for sure OR two- you can trust your heart and go for it. Yes, you may both get hurt but at least you'll never have to wonder "what if?" And hey, who knows, it could also turn out to be the most wonderful thing to ever happen to you. It's your choice but if it were me, I sure know which one I'd choose."

After a few minutes of silently mulling things over, Hawke turned to look at Dom. "You know I hate it when you're right," he said.

"Yeah?" Dom answered with a grin. "So does that mean...?" he asked hesistantly.

"It means that I have some explaining to do to a certain red-head when we get back if she'll listen to me," Hawke said.

"That's my boy!" Dom exclaimed as Hawke just shook his head.

"You better get back to ops...we need to go over this flight plan for once we enter Russia. Let's get it right the first time so we can get back to American soil in one piece or else Caitlin really will be mad!," he said as he winked at Dom in way of a thanks for the pep talk.

"You got it, kid!"

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Two hours later, Airwolf was hovering five miles out from the safe house where they were to meet up with Elena and the "package" she was to turn over. Hawke had been studying the aerial maps, looking for the best place for Dom to set him down. Pointing to a spot on the screen, Hawke indicated he'd found a spot. "Here, Dom, about six kilometers from here...looks like a good clearing. You can set The Lady down here and I'll go in the rest of the way on foot.

"Well, I can't say I like it but it looks like the best option we have," Dom agreed. "I'll monitor audio. If you get in any trouble, you just holler and the Lady and I'll will come get you. Be careful, kid."

Having agreed on their plans, Hawke turned Airwolf towards the landing site. Twenty-five minutes later he was approaching the safe house on foot that Archangel had given him the coordinates to. The spy had also provided him with a code word that would let the guards around the house know that he was there with the FIRM. So far everything seemed to be progressing exactly according to plan. For some reason, that made Hawke nervous.

Being led into the safehouse, Hawke saw a pretty blonde woman sitting at the table. "Elena?" he asked as he approached her.

"Yes, and you are Mr. Hawke, I presume?" she answered in English but with a heavy Russian accent.

"Yes. Where's the package?" he immediately asked wanting to waste no time.

The blonde woman nodded her head to the left, indicating a hallway that ran back of the house. "Second door to the right, you'll find it there."

"Uh uh," Hawke said as he shook his head andd drew his 9 mm, pointing it at Elena. He was suddenly feeling very ill at ease. "Ladies first..." he said as he indicated that she should lead the way.

Elena gave no argument and rose from her chair. Arriving at the second door on the right she stepped aside.

"Look, lady, it's not you I don't trust but as an American illegally in the midst of Russian territory I don't think it's prudent for me to trust anyone right now. Open the door...slowly," he instructed her.

"We're on the same side here, Mr. Hawke," she said.

"Just call me cynical," he retorted. "Now open it!"

Standing just off center, ready to fire rounds at anything that moved, Hawke prepared himself for what he would find behind the door. Or at least he thought he had. As the door swung open and Hawke looked inside the room, he would have sworn his eyes was playing tricks on him. Sitting on the bed was the "package", in the form of a woman...one he had never expected to see again. Only one word came to his lips..."_You?"_

_TBC..._

_Okay guys, yes it's a horrible cliff hangar and I"m afraid it gets worse. I have a college reunion this weekend. I may have a chance at another chapter tomorrow before I leave but no promises. If not, it will likely be Tuesday before I can post again. But I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your theories on who you think the package is! (For the record, I do know who I intend it to be...). Thanks for all of the reviews and follows and I promise to do what I can as soon as I'm able. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

_A/N: Okay everyone. I'm back so here's the next chapter. At least one of you guessed right on our mystery woman. :) _

**Chapter 6**

"String!" the dark haired woman said with a smile as she turned to see him standing in the doorway. "When I heard The FIRM was sending someone I was hoping that Archangel would send you."

"Inge…" String said, not believing that Inge Janek was standing before him. It didn't take him long to realize that she was still as beautiful as ever but other questions flooded his mind first. "I don't understand. What the hell are you doing working for the Russians?"

"Well it's not by choice. If you'll put that gun away, I'll tell you everything," she said as she glanced down at the 9mm that Hawke still had pointed at her.

"Yeah, well right now we don't have time," Hawke said pulling himself back to the reality of the situation as he holstered his weapon. "You can tell me once we're in the air and headed back to U.S. airspace. C'mon, we've got to get you out of here. Dom's got Airwolf about half a mile from here. I hope you've got your running shoes on."

"I'm ready," she said with a nod as she grabbed a briefcase off the bed and turned to follow him. Stopping briefly at the door she hugged Elena. "Thanks for everything and I'm so sorry about Demetre. Are you sure you won't come with us? You know they'll be looking for you."

"Yes, I'm sure," Elena said as she nodded her head. "This is my home. Everything and everyone I know is here. I must stay."

"And we must go," Hawke said hurriedly as he took Inge by the hand and started to lead her out of the house.

Waving goodbye to her friend, Inge allowed Hawke to pull her out of the house and across the yard as they headed towards a path that led into a wooded area. Within 10 minutes they were coming into the clearing where Dom was waiting with Airwolf.

"Move it, String!" Dom commanded as Hawke opened Airwolf's door. Dom stared in surprise for just a second at the woman climbing in the other side before regaining his composure. "I've just spotted a couple of Russian MIGs headed our way. Probably about 5 minutes out and they're fully armed."

Within seconds Hawke was in the pilot's seat, his helmet donned and ready to go. Looking over to the co-pilot's chair to make sure that Inge was secure, he started raising Airwolf back into the sky.

"Give me full combat mode and make sure turbos are ready," he instructed Dom as he made a final check of all systems.

"Check and check!" Dom confirmed as his fingers flew over the keyboard on the engineering console. "MIGs now at six o'clock, about 2 minutes out!" Dom warned as Hawke brought Airwolf to altitude.

"Full turbos!" Hawke ordered as Dom flipped the switch and the helicopter shot forth at mach speed, racing away from the safe house. "And raise IR suppression to full strength!"

"Damn!" Dominic mumbled.

"What is it, Dom?" Hawke asked.

"Explosion at the safe house. It looks like the MIGs just took it and everyone there out with a direct hit from a missile."

Inge gasped as she realized that her friend had just been killed.

"They're not stopping there, String," Dom informed the younger pilot. "They're on our tail and closing in fast!"

"How long before intercept?" Hawke demanded to know.

"About 45 seconds," Dom informed him.

"I want full disengagement of turbos on my mark," Hawke said as he counted down the seconds.

"String, you stop her like that and The Lady could very well tear herself apart!" Dom exclaimed, all the while with his hand on the toggle ready to follow Strings order.

"She'll be fine," Hawke said hoping he sounded convincing. "I need to get behind these guys. Okay, ready…..NOW!"

With a quick prayer, Dom did as he was ordered and immediately disengaged the turbos bringing everything to almost a full stop with a hellacious jerk. Within seconds the MIGs could be heard flying past overhead and Hawke immediately powered back up to follow.

"Give me a couple of hell-fires, Dom!" he ordered. "Let's get rid of these guys quickly and get the hell out of here!"

As soon as the missiles were loaded, Hawke lowered his visor and targeted on the MIGs. With two quick and precise shots, he took them both out.

"Give me those turbos again, full power, and let's get back to American soil before they send someone else after us!" he said with a sigh as he pointed Airwolf back towards the border.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

As soon as Dom had messaged Michael letting him know that they had successfully picked up the "package" and were headed safely back, the spy had headed up to String's cabin to let Caitlin know that Hawke and Dom were safe and that the mission had been a success.

"So what was the package?" Caitlin had asked wondering what had been so important that the Airwolf crew had had to risk their lives to retrieve it.

"I don't know," Michael said as he shook his head. "They didn't say. We didn't want any risk of the Soviets listening in on radio traffic. However, they're dropping it at off at Knightsbridge in an hour," Michael said referring to the West Coast headquarters for The Firm.

"Good, let's go then," Caitlin said as she got up from the couch and started to head for the door. Michael started to protest but quickly realized that it would probably be a lesson in futility trying to keep Caitlin from coming along so he just helped her on with her jacket and assisted her out to the waiting chopper on the dock.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Once things had calmed down in the cockpit and Airwolf was safely out of Russian airspace, Hawke took the chance to glance over at Inge. He was surprised to see her with tears rolling down her face.

"Hey, I'm sorry about your friend," he said. "You okay?"

"Yes. I'll be alright, thanks," she said unconvincingly as she reached up and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

Knowing there was really nothing to say to make things better, Hawke simply reached over and took her hand and squeezed it.

"I guess that's two I owe you," she said as she looked over and smiled at him. "Seems as if you are constantly risking your life to save mine."

"Yeah, well we didn't even know it was you that we were saving this time!" Dom said from his position behind the two former lovers. "How the hell did you get mixed up with all of this?"

Releasing Hawke's hand, Inge turned so she could look at Dom.

"After I left the United States a few months ago, I was returning to my home country of Czechoslovakia. I had decided to continue my father's work with lasers and with the agreement to share my work with The Firm. About two months ago, my labs were raided by Soviet forces and I was kidnapped and forced to hand over all of my work," Inge explained.

"Why didn't Archangel know about this?" Hawke demanded to know. "He doesn't even know now that you're the package we picked up."

"From what I understand, the Soviets would send him messages supposedly from me updating him on my work. To him it seemed that all was normal. With my father gone and all of my fellow scientists that were working on the project with me killed, no one was the wiser that anything had happened."

"So how did you manage to escape?" Dom asked.

"Demetre, the Firm's mole. He recognized me from intelligence he had seen earlier in the year. When he could, he contacted me and he helped me get out."

"And your work?" Hawke asked.

"Most of the plans are in the briefcase. A few things were left behind in the rush but nothing of vital importance or that I can't recreate," Inge said as she turned back around in her seat and stared out at the terrain rushing by below her. "I'm just beginning to wonder if it's all worth it. First my father, now Demetre and Elena, not to mention my fellow scientists," she mused quietly.

For a few minutes all was quiet as the three sat lost in their own thoughts.

"At least it gives me a chance to see you again," Inge finally said as she turned to look at Hawke. "I remember fondly the time we spent together, Hawke."

"Me too, Inge," Hawke said as he smiled over at her.

Starting to feel slightly like a third wheel, Dom quickly interrupted. "Looks like we're approaching Knightsbridge."

The next few minutes were taken up with the approach and landing on the Knightsbridge helipad. "I'll let Michael know we're here," Dom said as Hawke powered down Airwolf and Dom assisted Inge out of the helicopter. "You coming, Ms. Janek?" he asked.

"Uhm, in a minute," she said as she seemed to fumble with her briefcase.

"It's okay, Dom, I'll bring her in," Hawke said.

As soon as Dom was out of earshot and Hawke had removed his helmet and disembarked from Airwolf, Inge came around and looped an arm through his.

"It really is good to see you again, String," she said.

"You too, Inge," he agreed. "I'm just sorry it's not under better circumstances. We'd better get you into Michael. He's going to want to debrief you as soon as possible."

"Will you stay with me, Hawke?" she asked as they started to walk towards the offices of The FIRM. "I don't know if I can take another interrogation."

"Sure if you want me to," he said. "But it's just Michael…he'll be easy on you. He knows you didn't have to cooperate with us the first time and is thankful you did."

"I guess so," she said, stopping and turning to look at Hawke as they approached the entrance doors. "You know, I would love to see your cabin again," she said softly. "I mean, after I talk to Archangel."

"Inge…" Hawke started to protest as the mention of the cabin brought Caitlin and all that had transpired between them the day before immediately to mind. But before he could try and explain things to Inge, she was kissing him, taking him completely by surprise.

Just then the doors opened and Caitlin stood stunned as she watched Hawke kissing a woman that Caitlin knew he had had strong feelings for in the not too distant past. "_Well, I guess that answers any questions I had_," Caitlin thought as she stood, unable to speak. Letting the doors close back, she simply turned and walked away. She knew she was no competition for a woman like Inge Janek. Hawke had been right, her kissing him had been a mistake. She would ask Dom to take her back to the cabin where she would pack up her things and go back to her parents' ranch in Texas to finish her medical leave. Her mother would be happy anyways.

As Hawke tried to pull out of Inge's embrace and kiss, he heard the latch of the door behind him. Finally disengaging from the scientist he looked through the glass, only to see Caitlin retreating as quickly as her broken ankle would allow her down the hall.

"Damn!" he cursed as he stood, not sure what to do. He couldn't leave Inge just standing there but on the other hand he had to explain to Caitlin what had just happened.

"String?" Inge asked as she took him by the arm as he started to move towards the door.

"Inge, I'm sorry but this can't happen," he quickly tried to explain. "The time we had together meant a lot to me too but that was a long time ago. Things have changed since then. I care for you and I'm glad you're alright but there's someone else now. I hope you understand."

"Yes, I think I do," Inge said as she looked him in the eyes. "The girl named Caitlin, you care for her deeply, no? I remember when she first saw you in Mexico after thinking you had been killed. She was in love with you then and you have started to feel the same way towards her. I'm sorry. Please, go after her. I hope I haven't ruined things for you."

"Thank you. I'll have someone come get you and take you to Archangel," he said as he quickly took her hand and squeezed it before turning and running through the doorway and after Caitlin, praying he wasn't too late.

_TBC…..__  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only. . _

**Chapter 7**

Caitlin wasn't sure where she was headed, she just knew she needed to get away from wherever Stringfellow Hawke was. Unfortunately, no matter how far she went, she couldn't get away from the image in her mind of him kissing Inge Janek.

Taking the first door she came to, Caitlin hobbled awkwardly outside across the Knightsbridge grounds. With her broken ankle and crutch and her arm still in a sling, the trek across the uneven ground wasn't easy and she soon found herself tumbling to the ground as her crutch hit a hole. Landing hard on her already sore ankle, tears not only of pain but also of despair came to Caitlin's eyes as she sat in the grass wondering how she had allowed herself to get to this point. What had she been thinking when she had kissed Hawke yesterday? She should have known that things would forever be changed between them and now there was no going back.

The last place she wanted to go was home to Texas but at this point, she knew of no other option. _"Thirty two years old and I have to run home to my parents with no job, no boyfriend and no options. How pitiful am I?"_ she thought to herself as she hung her head and cried at the prospect of where her life was headed.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

By the time Hawke had entered the halls of Knightsbridge, Caitlin was nowhere to be seen. Turning back he started checking offices hoping she had ducked into one of them. As he passed a glass door that led outside he glanced out. In the distance, he could just make out Caitlin's red hair headed away from him. As he pushed open the door to follow after her he cursed to himself as he watched her suddenly fall to the ground.

"Caitlin!" he yelled as he picked up his pace and ran to help her out. As he approached he was stopped in his tracks momentarily, surprised to hear sobs coming from the usually unflappable woman. The mournful sound touched his soul.

Kneeling down next to her, Hawke reached out and gently touched her arm. "Caitlin? Are you okay?" he asked softly, cringing as she jumped at his touch.

Looking up at the intensely blue-eyed man, Caitlin quickly reached up and wiped the tears from her face. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just hit a hole," she said matter-of-factly, refusing to let Hawke see her completely crumble. "If you'll just help me up, I'll be fine."

Taking her under her good arm, Hawke gently helped her back to a standing position and handed her her crutch.

"Thanks," she said with a nod, trying to avoid his gaze. "I should be fine now. You can get back to Ms. Janek and Michael if you need to. I'm sure he wants to talk to you about the mission."

"Caitin…" Hawke said as he stepped in front of her making it impossible for her to not look at him.

"No, really Hawke, I'm fine," she insisted before he could say anything further. "Sorry to be such a nuisance. I'll be more careful. Go on…you have more pressing things to worry about than me," Caitlin said as she took a step back from Hawke's piercing gaze.

"Caitlin, wait," Hawke pleaded. "What you saw back there…it's not what you think."

"It doesn't matter what I think, Hawke," Caitlin said, "because it's really none of my business. How and whom you choose to spend your time with has nothing to do with me. You're a grown man, you don't have to explain anything to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go find Dom and have him take me home. I'm pretty tired. I just wanted to see for myself that you both made it back okay," she said with a small and unconvincing smile.

Before Hawke could explain further, Dom came walking towards them. "Hey, String! Michael's getting pretty hot that you haven't talked to him yet. You better get in there in see him before he blows a gasket."

Looking back at Caitlin, he could see the pain in her eyes. "Cait…"

"Go on, Hawke, you don't want to keep Michael waiting. You know how he gets," was all she said.

Hesitating for a second while he tried to decide what to do, he figured he better get the debriefing over with so he could talk uninterrupted with Caitlin later. "Okay, but when I get back to the cabin…you and me, we're going to have talk," he said.

"I won't be at the cabin, Hawke," Caitlin informed him. "I'm going to have Dom take me home, to my apartment. I'm well enough to start taking care of myself. I'll have Dom get my stuff from the cabin and bring it to me later. And that way I won't be in the way in case you need room for a house guest," she said knowing that he would get what she was implying.

"Back to the apartment?" Dom asked in surprise.

"Yes, Dom…my apartment," Caitlin confirmed. "I have to start taking care of myself at some point and I've bothered both you and Hawke long enough. I'll be fine. Now, can we please go?" she asked wanting nothing more than to get away from String.

"Yeah, sure sweetheart, whatever you want," Dom said as he looked in confusion at the two young people in front of him. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on but he knew String would have some explaining to do the next time he saw him. Caitlin was hurting, and not just physically, anyone could see that.

Knowing it wasn't the time or the place to try to settle things between them, Hawke told Dom to take Caitlin and Airwolf back to the Lair where the Jeep was parked and Hawke would have Michael take him back to the cabin when they were through with the debriefing. As he watched Caitlin walk off towards Airwolf with Dom, he shook his head in defiance. _"I don't care what you say Caitlin, this isn't over. You may not want to listen now but I'm not letting you get away, not this time, not without a fight,"_ he vowed to himself. It had taken a while for him to get here, but Hawke finally knew what it was he wanted and needed in his life and it all led back to Caitlin O'Shannessy.

_TBC…_

_A/N: So I thought I'd make Hawke have to work a little to get Caitlin. Next chapter, we'll have to see how he does _


	8. Chapter 8

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 8**

The flight back to The Lair in Airwolf was quiet. Dom piloted the helicopter and Caitlin seemed lost in her own thoughts. By the time they landed and were in the Jeep on the way back to the hangar, Dom couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Cait, I don't know what happened between you and String at Knightsbridge but do you want to talk about it? It might help," he suggested hoping he could encourage the younger woman to open up to him.

Smiling and looking over at Dom, Caitlin just shook her head. She knew he only wanted to help but she couldn't imagine talking to him about something so intimate and personal.

"C'mon sweetheart," Dom encouraged, sensing her hesitation. "I know that some things happened up at the cabin before the mission. String's already told me about that so you can talk to me."

Surprised that Hawke would mention anything, even to Dom, Caitlin shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Exactly what did he tell you?" Caitlin figured she better find out just how much Dom knew before she embarrassed herself completely…again.

"Well, uhm…" Dom started haltingly. Suddenly he was the one feeling a little uncomfortable. "Look, let me just say that from what String told me, you made a pretty bold move up there. It took him by surprise…"

"Yeah, you can say that again!" Caitlin said with a huff.

"No, honey…not in a bad way. He just wasn't expecting it but once he had time to think about things and he and I talked…well, he was thinking that maybe what you did wasn't such a bad thing after all." Seeing that Caitlin wasn't buying what he was selling, Dom decided the direct approach might be the better option. Pulling the Jeep over to the side of the desert road so he could talk to her better, Dom turned to look at the obviously upset red head.

"Honey, listen to me. I know how you feel about String and I know he's not been very responsive to you in a way that you'd like but let me tell you something about that boy that you may not believe. He feels the same way about you. He has for a long time. He's just been scared that's all but I can tell you that after we talked he was planning on coming back and letting you know exactly how he feels. I don't know what happened back there but it sure would be a shame at this point, after all you two have been through, not to give whatever this relationship might be a chance."

"He loves me?" Caitlin asked incredulously as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Well he sure has a damn funny way of showing it, Dom!"

"Caitlin, you know how he is about that curse he thinks he has looming over him. He's been afraid to say anything because he didn't want to see you hurt, that's all."

"Yeah, and kissing another woman is one surefire way to make sure I keep my distance and stay out from under that supposed curse, isn't it? Gotta love the sacrifices he'll make just to keep me from getting hurt! Who knows? Maybe he'll marry another woman, just to keep me safe, too. Wouldn't that just be heroic of him?!" By the time she was done, Caitlin was more angry than sad, her skin flushed with emotion.

"What?" Dom asked, having no idea of what had happened between Inge Janek and String.

"Yes, Dom, I went out to welcome him back from the mission only to find he and Inge Janek entangled in what looked like a pretty passionate embrace. I guess I was an okay distraction for him until she showed back up in his life! Not that I can blame him, I guess I'm not much competition for such a smart and beautiful woman like her." Sighing, Caitlin just shrugged her shoulders and seemed to slump back in her seat with exhaustion.

"I don't believe it!" Dom said. "You must be mistaken, Cait! Maybe she was just thanking him for saving her."

"Oh no, I know exactly what I saw, Dom and believe me…that was no simple 'thank you' kiss."

"I swear that boy needs a good knock up against the head!" Dom said with exasperation.

"Can we just go home?" Caitlin asked. "I really don't want to talk about this anymore and I'm really tired."

Nodding his head and giving Cait a supportive pat on her arm, Dom restarted the Jeep. "Sure, sweetheart."

_"But don't think I'm not going to have a word or two with String as soon as I see him. I'm not sure what really happened but I'm damn well going to find out and give that boy a piece of my mind!"_ Dom thought to himself as he drove off.

_TBC…_

_A/N: A short chapter but I couldn't imagine Dom not speaking up when he and Caitlin were alone. I'll see if I can get another chapter up today but not sure it will happen. Thanks for all of the reviews and follows so far _


	9. Chapter 9

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 9**

A couple of hours later, after dropping Caitlin at her apartment, Dom was working in the office at the hangar when Michael's white limo drove up and String got out. Dom was on his way out to talk to the younger man when he saw Inge Janek exit the vehicle right behind Hawke. Still not quite understanding what exactly had gone on between those two at Knightsbridge, Dom decided to hang back until he could better gauge what their current relationship really was. Making himself look busy at one of the work benches, Dom did his best to listen in…only feeling the slightest bit guilty for eavesdropping.

"Hawke, I just wanted to thank you again for rescuing me," Inge said as she stepped closer to him, gently putting her hands on his arms.

"I'm glad I could be there for you, Inge," String replied sincerely, doing his best to avoid her gaze. For the next couple of seconds the two stood there awkwardly, both feeling the pull of an old love affair but neither really knowing what to say.

As String started to step back, Inge tightened her grip ever so slightly keeping him from leaving. Figuring she had to take one last chance, Inge spoke, "I know what you told me back there, Hawke, but are you sure? I mean, I never thought I'd be back here, with you, but now that I am I realize all that we could have had, all that we **did **have. I'd hate to lose that again. I mean, there was something special between us, wasn't there?"

Hawke shifted uncomfortably on his feet before looking the beautiful Czechoslovakian woman in the eyes. "Yes, there was something special and it meant a lot to me. I'll always think fondly of the time we spent together at my cabin," he said as Dom inwardly cringed as he listened in from across the hangar.

"But…" Inge said as she released her grip on Hawke and turned away from him sensing he had more to say.

"But, Inge, what happened between us was born out of desperation and a need for comfort. You had just lost your father and we were on the run. We needed each other. It was special and it was intense and it was wonderful but it was also something that could only be in that time and place. Do you understand?" Hawke asked gently as he reached out and touched her on the shoulder causing her to turn back around.

Looking into Hawke's piercing blue eyes, Inge knew that he was right and for more reasons than he had just stated. "You really love her, don't you?" she asked him softly.

"Yes, I do," he confirmed with a slight smile. "And I can't keep hurting her like this. Caitlin has been there for me more times than I can count and I just keep pushing her away. I just hope that this time I haven't pushed her too far." Dom couldn't help but smile as he heard the turn the conversation was taken.

"Caitlin's one lucky woman," Inge said with a sigh. "I'll miss you, Stringfellow Hawke but I know where your heart lies and I'd never be one to stand in the way of that. I hope you find what you are looking for and I hope my kissing you doesn't keep you from that. I never meant for that kiss to cause any trouble." Leaning over, Inge brushed her lips across his cheek. Opening the car door, she paused just before getting back into the limo. "But if things don't work out…." she said with a look of longing, "Michael will know where to find me." With a smile she got in and closed the door behind her. Hawke stood and watched as the limo pulled away from the hangar.

"I wish Cait had been around to hear that," Dominic said as he came and stood beside Hawke.

"You were listening?" Hawke said as he cocked an eyebrow at the older man.

"Well, uhm…you know, I just happened to be over there. I couldn't help it," he said sheepishly as he looked at his feet.

"Yeah, Dom, you just **happened** to be standing there…" Hawke said with a grin.

"Oh, alright, you got me String but I had to make sure you didn't screw things up with Caitlin anymore than you already have. That's one upset girl we've got there."

"Don't I know it!" Hawke agreed.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Dom asked as the two walked back into the hangar.

Shrugging his shoulders, Hawke looked at the older man. "What can I do, Dom? She won't even talk to me."

"And you're going to let that stop you?" Dom said with a 'hmmph' as he put his hands on his hips. "String, I've seen you walk through Hell and back on Airwolf missions. You've been shot at, shot down, beaten up, chased, drugged and God knows what else and you're going to let one cute, little, red-headed, freckle-faced woman shut you down just because she doesn't want to talk to you? Really, String, I'm disappointed in you!"

"Yeah, but have you forgotten the stubbornness factor of that cute, little, red-headed, freckle-faced woman as you call her? She's harder to get through than the Berlin Wall!" Hawke said.

"Well, all I know is that unless you want to lose her for good, you better figure something out, kid," Dom instructed. "She's hurt and she's angry and I'm afraid she's going to leave if you don't do something to stop her. And I'll tell you one thing, if I lose one of the best helicopter pilots I've ever seen because you were too scared to stand up to her, I'm not going to be a happy man!"

Looking to Dom, Hawke rolled his eyes. "Well I certainly can't have both you and Caitlin mad at me now can I? I'll never get any peace."

"You got that right, kid! Now what are you standing around here for?" Dom said with a wide, gap-toothed grin as he patted Hawke on the back. "Get out of here!" he said as he handed Hawke the keys to the jeep.

Watching Hawke go, Dom prayed that he'd be able to get through to Caitlin. Those two may be as stubborn as mules but they were made for each other. Dom knew it, anyone who was around them for more than a minute knew it and finally…maybe they knew it too. If only their hard-headedness didn't get in their way…

_TBC…._


	10. Chapter 10

**Recovery: A Sequel to Thicker than Water**

_A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only_. _. _

**Chapter 10**

Caitlin hesitated with her hand over the phone as she started to call her parents to tell them she would be coming home on the first flight she could get. She would use the excuse that she wanted to see her sister's new baby but Caitlin knew that it wouldn't take her mother long to figure out that there was more to her return than that. The thought of her mother's constant nagging and the "I told you so's" she was sure to hear were the very reason that Caitlin was hesitating on making the call.

Deciding to put off that particular phone call a little longer, she dialed the Santini Air number instead. Dom was supposed to be bringing her things that she had left at String's cabin back to her and if she was going back to Texas, she would need them sooner than later. Several rings later with no answer, she hung up the phone. "Maybe he's already on the way to get them," she thought as she stood and headed back to her bedroom to pack the other things she would need.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

Hawke grew more nervous the closer he got to Caitlin's apartment. He had never been a man of many words and he had no idea how he was going to convince Caitlin that it was her and not Inge Janek, or any other woman for that matter, that he wanted in his life. Hawke chuckled to himself as he thought about what Dom had said earlier. Give him a sky full of heavily-armed MIGs or let him face down the wrong end of an AK-47 and he would willingly face them head on and fight his way out. But give him a cute, freckle-faced, 110 pound, red-headed, ex-Texas State Trooper and he felt like turning tail and running.

As he drove into Cait's apartment complex, he found a parking spot and turned off the Jeep. Unable to make himself move, he sat behind the steering wheel just staring at the door to her building. Wishing he had at least brought flowers or something with him that he could hide behind, Hawke finally came to the conclusion that since he was more a man of action than words, then maybe he should stick with what works. Goodness knows that the last few times he had tried talking to Caitlin, things surely hadn't gone well.

Leaning over, he opened the glove compartment of the Jeep and reached in and grabbed a small key ring that contained three keys, one for Dom's apartment, one for String's cabin and, most importantly, one for Caitlin's apartment. The three had decided long ago that it would be a good idea for each of them to have access to the other's homes in case something were to happen as was prone to be the case when dealing with the types of things that they did on their missions for The Firm.

Taking a deep breath and gathering his courage, Hawke got out of the Jeep and headed towards Cait's apartment.

**AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW**

To try and keep her mind off of Hawke and the reason she was packing, Caitlin had turned her bedside radio on to one of the local pop stations. Hearing Phil Collins singing "Separate Lives" however wasn't exactly the distraction she had been hoping for. On the other hand, those sad songs had an almost cathartic effect as she continued to pack with tears streaming down her face. Leaning over to turn the music up louder, she jumped when she turned back around to find Hawke standing beside her.

"What the hell?" she yelled as she jumped and began to stumble back from the surprise.

Reaching out to keep her from falling. Hawke grabbed her around the waist with both arms.

"Hawke? What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?," Caitlin said in anger. "And how did you get in here anyways?"

"I used the spare key," he said simply as he pulled her a little closer, his eyes boring deeply into her own.

"Dammit, Hawke! That's not what that key is for and you know it. You can't just come waltzing in and out of my apartment, and my life for that matter, whenever you feel like it!" Caitlin exclaimed as she tried unsuccessfully to tear her own gaze away from his piercing stare. Oh those blue eyes of his. They had been the first thing to catch her attention, even way back in Pope County, Texas when she first saw him through the cell door bars. She knew if she focused in on them for too long she would fold and she wanted to stay strong. She couldn't let him take her under again just to break her heart the next time another beautiful woman came along.

"Dammit, Hawke, let me go!" she said as she tried to push off of him with her one good arm. But it didn't work. Instead, Hawke seemed to draw her in even closer. Keeping one hand firmly around her waist, he reached up with the other and gently wiped the tears that had earlier fallen onto her cheeks.

"If you're not careful, you're going to wash away all of those pretty freckles I like so much with all of those tears," he said softly as he smiled at her tenderly still never removing his gaze from her eyes.

God, she loved the touch of his calloused hands on her skin, she thought as he continued to caress her lightly. She could already hear her heart telling her to give in but she knew she couldn't go through another rejection from him. Caitlin knew that Hawke could never be a one-woman man, not after Gabrielle and how he felt about his curse. She had to save herself from the heartbreak she knew she could no longer stand, no matter how much she wanted him.

"Hawke, please…" she whispered hoarsely trying to once again back out of his grasp. "I can't do this, no I won't do this. I won't be just another woman on your list," she pleaded.

Hawke was surprised to feel Caitlin actually start to shake in his arms. It wasn't until that very moment that he realized how much she must really love him. It was also the same moment that he realized how much he cared for and loved her as well. To see her so hurt because of something he had done, by words that he had said, it was almost more than he could bear to see. He knew there was nothing he could say to her that would fix things between them. Instead he did the one thing he had wanted to do since the day before at the cabin. He placed his hand around the back of her neck and gently but firmly pulled her in close, bringing his lips down on hers. At first he could feel her start to protest and try to pull away but soon her body gave in as it melded into his and she couldn't resist his touch and his taste any longer. Soon it was if they were one and a primal hunger that had resided in both of them for so long took over.

Cait's mind was swirling with emotions as Hawke's kiss overtook her. She wasn't sure if the reaction of her body was because of love, hatred, anger or hurt. She just knew that it was the most intense thing she had ever experienced and she needed to feel him, touch him and taste him. It was as if nothing else mattered.

Finally, however, her brain caught up with the rest of her and she immediately pulled back and cried as she began to pummel his chest with her fist. "Dammit! You can't do this, Hawke! You can't just kiss me like that and then leave me here alone. I told you, no matter how much I want to, I can't do this!," she cried, exhausted and spent from the emotions that flowed through her.

"Caitlin," he said as he grabbed her fist trying to get her to stop and listen to him. "Caitlin!" he said again, this time quite loudly and firmly to grab her attention. "Look at me, baby," his voice dropping to almost a whisper as he cupped her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his once more.

"Oh God, Cait, I never meant to hurt you like this," he said as he read the pain and heartache written all over her face. "And I swear to you, I'll never do it again. Please, don't be scared of loving me. I promise you, Inge means nothing to me. No one but you, Cait; you're the only one I want."

"And is that why you kissed her?" Caitlin almost snarled, all of the reasons she was so upset with him in the first place coming back to her.

"Cait, I know this is going to sound lame but she kissed me. Not the other way around. Ask Dom, he'll tell you…he heard her admit it."

"Yeah, well maybe so but that doesn't explain why you backed off at the cabin. Am I supposed to think something has changed since yesterday when you couldn't get away from kissing me fast enough?" Caitlin asked as she finally managed to pull herself out of his arms and sat down on the bed.

Sitting next to her Hawke cringed as she moved away slightly so that their bodies weren't touching. "Yeah, well I guess it was my turn to be scared. You know what happens to the people I love. When you kissed me, I got scared because I knew then that I was falling in love with you. I wanted nothing more than to scoop you up and show you just how much I cared but I was afraid that if I did then the inevitable would happen. I couldn't lose you, Cait."

Hearing the vulnerability in his voice, Caitlin turned to look at him. She knew he was telling her the truth. Reaching over she took his hand in hers. "You won't lose me String, not by loving me. But if you keep pushing me away, you will…can't you see that? I can't stay here knowing how much I love you and just watch you give that love away to someone else. I need you Hawke but I can't sacrifice myself for you. I need you to love me too and I need you to love me so much that you'll risk losing me. That's what love is, can't you see that?"

"You know what you're asking of me, don't you Caitlin?" he asked as he moved closer, slipping his arm around her waist. "I love you and I can't stand the thought of losing you but I'm scared. You and Dom, you're all the family I have and the thought of losing either one of you…" his voice trailed off as the words stuck in his throat.

"String, look at me," she ordered him gently. "I can't guarantee that something won't happen but what I can guarantee you is that I'll love you like no one else. I think what we have here could be the start of something unbelievable and amazing and I'm willing to risk everything for it. But you have to trust me and you have to be willing to let me in. I know you're scared. Hell I'm terrified of how much I love you but as long as we know that then we can face our fears together, right?"

"I don't deserve you," he said softly as he pulled her in closely to his side, amazed as always at how well she seemed to fit there. Bending down he kissed her hair and even with that light gesture, both of their bodies seemed to react. Soon she was turning her face up to him and their lips met once again. Only this time, neither one resisted or pulled back and it would be morning before they separated again; Caitlin's plans to go back to Texas abandoned. She realized she was finally in the only place she had ever wanted to be, Hawke's arms.

_THE END!_

_A/N: I hope you liked it! This was a difficult chapter to write in order to get the emotions out from each of them that I wanted to, I hope they came across well. Anyways, I like this version of them so well, I think my next story will be a continuation of this story line. I want to develop their relationship even further so we'll see what happens. Have a great weekend everyone and thanks so much for all of your support for this story _


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